I would like to bring home some variety of cheeses from Amsterdam but I would like to know some of your recommendations of what stores have good options. Also, can you bring cheeses to the US?
Thank you!
I can't help you on were to buy cheese but the following is from the US CBP website:
Dairy items such as milk, yogurt, butter are generally admissible, although this is subject to change, depending on disease outbreaks. Eggs may be admissible, although frequent outbreaks of Exotic Newcastles Disease and avian flu make it very likely that they will be denied entry. Hard cured cheese such as parmesan or cheddar are generally admissible, soft cheeses such as brie and soft curd cheese and cheese in water(ricotta, feta, etc.) are not.
All food must be declared. If you don't, and they find it, you could be penalized.
Most Dutch people buy their cheese in the supermarket. Often these blocks of cheese are already vacuum sealed. You’ll find supermarkets all over Amsterdam.
There are of course specialized cheese shops as well. The ones that mostly sell to locals will have the word “kaas”, the Dutch word for cheese, in their name. The touristy ones tend to give themselves an English name. I’m not saying that you should avoid these touristy cheese shops. Their main advantage is that they are equipped to help you get your purchases home safely.
We have brought gouda and Old Amsterdam cheeses home on several occasions and they are allowed. I just bought them in random cheese stores around town.
There are also decent deals and a good selection to be had at weekly markets held in some of the towns (Delft, Leiden, Haarlem, others). The markets are mostly for the locals, nice choice of local cheeses, decent prices, vendors are helpful in my experience.